On 24 May, CSO Representatives, Participants of CSO Incubators met with the Administrative Staff members of Gyumri, Vanadzor, Gavar, Kapan, Yerevan and a number of other communities within the framework of the EU-funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project and reached agreements on cooperation.
A group of 22 representatives of CSO incubator participants in Yerevan met with the First Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Kamo Areyan. Deputy heads of the Social Security Department and the Legal Department of the Municipality of Yerevan attended the meeting as well.
Marat Atovmyan, Mentors’ Group Coordinator/Justice and Related Sectors Mentor of the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project presented the program and the options for the future cooperation. “The objective is to build partnership with civil society organizations, local authorities and government agencies to ensure revealing different issues as well as to seek solutions and implement them jointly in the constructive dialogue,” Marat Atovmyan said.
The First Deputy Mayor Kamo Areyan mentioned in his speech that they welcome the project and its mission. “On behalf of the Mayor, I can say that as a local self-governing body as an authorized responsible and competent body, of course is for such dialogue. Both, the public administration and the local self-government, which constitutionally are clearly entitled to solve the community issues under their own clear responsibility, is undoubtedly the only civilised way accepted in the world to involve the public in dialogue with the local government,” Kamo Areyan said. He also mentioned that if civil society organizations shall present programs, which will be beneficial for the city’s welfare, the Municipality is ready to discuss them.
Representatives of civil society organizations expressed their concerns and suggestions as well.
Ms Mariam Chakhoyan, representative of “TookhManook” Educational, Human Rights NGO raised the question related to the current projects of the Municipality on waste recycling and reduction. In response to the question, Kamo Areyan mentioned that they have already launched the process of having a modern city dump with modern infrastructures.” The scene, which we now have, will no longer exist,” the First Deputy Mayor said.
Mr. Artashes Sargsyan, President of “Ecoteam” Ecology and Environmental NGO, spoke about the alternative energy options in public buildings in the city. Kamo Areyan highlighted the question and mentioned that since the NGO is specialized in this field, they will discuss the proposals presented by “Ecoteam”.
Ms Nelly Grigoryan, who represented “Civil Initiatives Platform” NGO, presented a proposal on the activities of condominiums. “There is a rather interesting and exemplary experience of condominiums in Tsarav Aghbyur multi-apartment complexes. They have developed an online system and the residents know their rights well, and you can clarify many issues for you, if you try to get a little interest in condominiums,” she said. According to the First Deputy Mayor, this is a rare case. “Yes, now people in the IT sector have gathered in the neighbourhood and discuss all the issues, decide them the online, this is a very competent model, they are smart people,” Kamo Areyan said.
It should also be mentioned that CSO representatives, participants of CSO Incubators in Gavar city of Gegharkunik province met with Deputy Mayor G. Harutyunyan. In Chambarak – with Deputy Community Head Robert Ohanyan. In Vardenik – with Community Head Hovhannes Hoveyan. In Shirak marz meetings with the Deputy Mayor of Gyumri City and the Heads of Akhuryan and Azatan Communities, as well as the Mayor of Artik City took place. In Lori marz the CSO representatives, participants of CSO Incubators met with Deputy Mayors of Vanadzor and Alaverdi cities, and with the Mayor of Ijevan City. In Syunik marz CSOs met with the administrative staff of Goris, Kapan and Sisian cities.
The “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by a Consortium of civil society organisations, which are the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (lead organisation), Agora Central Europe (NGO based in the Czech Republic), the Armenian Centre for Democratic Education-CIVITAS, the International Centre for Human Development, the SME Cooperation Association and the Union of Communities of Armenia.
The project aims to enhance the influence of civil society organisations (CSOs) and CSO coalitions/networks on public policies in Armenia. This will allow organisations that are already working in sectoral coalitions to access additional resources, new groups of civil society experts to come together and encourage place their causes on the local and national policy agenda, to identify common concerns and priorities and approach government bodies with constructive and strategic policy engagement initiatives.
